Analgesic Mechanisms of Steroid Ointment against Oral Ulcerative Mucositis in a Rat Model

Despite the long history of use of steroid ointments for oral mucositis, the analgesic mechanism has not been fully elucidated. In this study, we examined the effects of triamcinolone acetonide (Tmc) on oral ulcerative mucositis-induced pain in conscious rats by our proprietary assay system. Based on evaluations of the physical properties and retention periods in the oral mucosa of human volunteers and rats, we selected TRAFUL^® ointment as a long-lasting base. In oral ulcerative mucositis model rats, TRAFUL^® with Tmc suppressed cyclooxygenase-dependent inflammatory responses with upregulations of glucocorticoid receptor-induced anti-inflammatory genes and inhibited spontaneous nociceptive behavior. When an ointment with a shorter residual period was used, the effects of Tmc were not elicited or were induced to a lesser extent. Importantly, TRAFUL^® with Tmc also improved oral ulcerative mucositis-induced mechanical allodynia, which has been reported to be independent of cyclooxygenase. Ca²⁺ imaging in dissociated trigeminal ganglion neurons showed that long-term preincubation with Tmc inhibited the hypertonic stimulation-induced Ca²⁺ response. These results suggest that the representative steroid Tmc suppresses oral ulcerative mucositis-induced pain by general anti-inflammatory actions and inhibits mechanical sensitivity in peripheral nerves. For drug delivery, long-lasting ointments such as TRAFUL^® are needed to sufficiently induce the therapeutic effects.     

Linear polymers with sulfur in the main chain,I . Polyesters derived from interfacial polycondensation of 4,4′-thiodiphenol and/or bisphenol-A with adipoyl dichloride

Polyesters having sulfur atoms in the main chain were synthesized from 4,4′-thiodiphenol (TDP) and adipoyl dichloride (APC) by both solution polycondensation and interfacial polycondensation. The specific viscosity of the product from interfacial polycondensation was higher than that of the product obtained by the solution method. Influences of solvent and phase transfer catalyst on the specific viscosity were investigated in the interfacial polycondensation. As for viscosity, the polyester synthesized with 1,1,2,2-tetrachloroethane (TCE) as the organic phase and tetra-n-butylammonium bromide (Bu₄NBr) as the catalyst indicates the highest value. Bisphenol-A was co-polycondensated with TDP and APC to improve the toughness of the polyester from TDP. Properties of the polymers were evaluated with thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, FTIR and ¹H NMR spectroscopic analysis, viscoelastic spectrometer (DMA), oxygen gas permeability (GTR), and gel permeation chromatography. The polyesters have a very low value of oxygen gas permeability; especially the value of the polyester from TDP and APC was lower than that of PET.     

Effects of extraction and reconstitution of ryegrass juice on fermentation,digestion and in situ degradation of pressed cake silage

Primary growth of Italian ryegrass was fractionated into green juice and pressed cake (PC). PC was ensiled either directly or after reconstitution with the juice which was spray dried and then added to water before ensiling (RPC). This process was aimed at distinguishing between chemical (removal of nutrients) and physical (mechanical disintegration) effects of fractionation. Two additional wilted silages were prepared from long cut or chopped Italian ryegrass (WL and WC, respectively). The fermentative quality, digestion and in situ degradation of dry matter for the four silages were compared. WC, RPC and PC silages indicated lactate-rich fermentation while WL silage had a comparatively low lactate content. PC silage had a lower (P<0·05) pH value with lower (P<0·05) amounts of organic acids compared with WC and RPC silage, suggesting that removal of buffering components with the juice had greater effects than shredding on fermentation of PC silage. The digestibility of protein was lower (P<0·05) in PC than WL silage but the reduction was compensated for in RPC silage. Ruminal concentrations of total volatile fatty acids were the highest (P<0·05) when goats fed WL silage while those on the other silages had similar concentrations. Ruminal pH was lower (P<0·05) in goats fed PC than WC silage and the difference was not fully reversed by reconstituting the juice to PC. Juice extraction decreased (P<0·05) the soluble fraction and the rate of disappearance of dry matter in the rumen but the potential degradability was not different among treatments. These results suggest that both chemical and physical changes due to the fractionation affect the characteristics of digestion of PC silage while the removal of nutrients has a major role in the modified silage fermentation. © 1997 SCI.     

Fabrication of high-power electric double-layer capacitors

The electrochemical behavior of activated carbon/carbon (AC/C) composite electrodes was investigated for high-power electric doublelayer capacitors (EDLCs). It was found that high-rate charge/discharge characteristics are affected by the resistance of the electrolyte phase in the pores of the electrode. The charge/discharge characteristics were improved by optimizing the pore-size distribution of the electrodes. The size and total volume of the macro-pores in the electrodes were controlled by mixing and burning out polymer spheres. A high-power EDLC (15V, 470 F), which can discharge as much as 500 A, was fabricated by using improved AC/C composite electrodes.     

Electrochemical study on Mn-substitution in LiFePO4 olivine compound

Olivine compounds LiFe_1−xMn_xPO₄ (0.0 < x < 0.4) were prepared by the solid-state reaction, and the electrochemical properties were studied in order to examine the effects of Mn²⁺-substitution. The substitution led to the modification of the electrochemical performance, such as initial capacity, capacity fading and polarization. From the cyclic voltammetry, it was found that the effective Li⁺ ionic diffusion coefficient was always larger in the charging process than in the discharging process and that it became larger with an appropriate amount substitution. The structural analysis on the chemical-delithiated compounds exhibited anomalous expansion of the unit cell along c-axis with the substitution, while the lattice parameters of the pristine compounds obeyed Vegard's law. The relationship between the Li⁺ ion diffusion and the bottle-neck area of (0 1 0) zigzag path was discussed. From the results, it was considered that Mn²⁺ had no direct contribution on the electrochemical reaction but influenced both electronic and ionic conductivities, which led to some modifications in the electrochemical performance.     

Methyl 3‐Hydroxymyristate,a Diffusible Signal Mediating phc Quorum Sensing in Ralstonia solanacearum

Ralstonia solanacearum, a plant pathogenic bacterium causing “bacterial wilt” on crops, uses a quorum sensing (QS) system consisting of phc regulatory elements to control its virulence. Methyl 3‐hydroxypalmitate (3‐OH PAME) was previously identified as the QS signal in strain AW1. However, 3‐OH PAME has not been reportedly detected from any other strains, and this suggests that they produce another unknown QS signal. Here we identify (R)‐methyl 3‐hydroxymyristate [(R)‐3‐OH MAME] as a new QS signal that regulates the production of virulence factors and secondary metabolites. (R)‐3‐OH MAME was synthesized by the methyltransferase PhcB and sensed by the histidine kinase PhcS. The phylogenetic trees of these proteins from R. solanacearum strains were divided into two groups, according to their QS signal types—(R)‐3‐OH MAME or (R)‐3‐OH PAME. These results demonstrate that (R)‐3‐OH MAME is another crucial QS signal and highlight the unique evolution of QS systems in R. solanacearum.     

Spurious response sensitivity of two-way transceivers related to the 3rd-order nonlinearity of SAW filters

The spurious response sensitivities (SRSs) of two-way radio transceivers, as determined from the 3rd-order nonlinearities of SAW filters, are compared using two types of filter, the IIDT-type and a newly-developed SAW-resonator-coupled type, in high-power ( approximately 1 W) applications. The latter type is shown to result in an SRS which satisfies system specifications with sufficient margins.<>     

PHS系统概述

本文全面地介绍个人便携式电话系统（ＰｅｒｓｏｎａｌＨａｎｄｙＰｈｏｎｅＳｙｓｔｅｍ：ＰＨＳ），包括ＰＨＳ的系统概念、网络结构、空中接口及系统应用。     

New low-loss broadband SAW filter using unidirectional IDTs with U-shaped MSCs

A new low-loss broadband SAW filter is presented. A new configuration using one pair of electrically connected IDTs with an optimum number of fingers, as well as unidirectional IDTs with U-shaped MSCs, is described. Experimental results with bandwidth as wide as 10% and loss as low as 3 dB are achieved. Very accurate computer-aided design of a low-loss filter with MSCs is obtained.     

The effect of mannitol upon cochlear dysfunction induced by transient local anoxia

Transient local anoxia of the cochlea was induced by pressing the labyrinthine artery, and compound action potential (CAP) or endocochlear potential (EP) was measured before and after transient local anoxia ranging from 5 to 60 min using 106 albino guinea pigs. The complete interruption of the cochlear blood flow by this procedure and its full restoration after releasing the pressure on the artery was confirmed by a laser-Doppler flowmeter. The anoxia of less than 10 min induced no post-anoxic cochlear dysfunction, whereas the anoxia of a longer duration induced an irreversible dysfunction of the cochlea. It was evident that the post-anoxic recovery of the CAP threshold was worse as the anoxia period was prolonged, and CAP was almost completely abolished after 60-min anoxia. In animals which were administered mannitol intravenously just after the restoration of the cochlear blood circulation, the recovery of the CAP threshold was significantly better than that in the control animals, when the animals were subjected to local anoxia of 15- to 30-min duration. No beneficial effect, however, was observed in the 60-min anoxia group. In conclusion, local anoxia of 10 min or longer caused cochlear dysfunction, which was partially but significantly alleviated by mannitol.